Dave Chappelle opens up about his abrupt departure from 'Chappelle's Show'

NEW YORK, June 11 (UPI) -- Dave Chappelle has finally discussed the abrupt end of Chappelle's Show.

The 40-year-old actor and comedian appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman for the first time in ten years on Tuesday night. During the interview, Chappelle addressed his surprising departure from his sketch comedy series in 2005.

"I don't talk about it," he begins the conversation. "Here it is: technically, I never quit. I'm seven years late for work."

"It's like getting divorced in the 50s," he says of his departure. "People didn't go to divorce court. They just looked at their wife and were like, 'Baby, I'm going to go get a pack of cigarettes, I'll be right back.' They just leave with their clothes on their back and make a go at it."

Chappelle's Show debuted in 2003, and ran for two seasons on Comedy Central. Production was underway on the third season when Chappelle left the show and failed to return in 2005. The network offered the comedian a significant sum of money to continue, but he chose to turn it down.

"I made a series of decisions," he relays. "There's not too many people who don't think I'm crazy. I look at it like this: I'm at a restaurant with my wife. It's a nice restaurant and we're eating dinner. I look across the room and I say, 'You see this guy over here, across the room? He has $100 million.' We're eating the same entrée."

"Okay, fine, I don't have $50 million or whatever it was," he says of the offer. "Let's say I have $10 million in the bank -- the difference in lifestyle is miniscule. The only difference between having $10 million and $50 million is an astounding $40 million. Of course I would have liked to have that money."

Chappelle concludes, "There are other things in my life that I did not purchase with money that are very valuable." He continues to perform standup comedy, and will be in residence at Radio City Music Hall from June 18-26.